A/N: So here the latest, this story is loosely based off of NBC's Aquarius I was really interested in the story but instead if it focusing on the police and investigations it's going to focus more on that place where all the taken and runaways hang out. I hope you enjoy!
:Prologue:
Alexandria, Virginia - 1860
Stefan Salvatore looked up at his father as he held his hand walking in the cold winter night. He overheard him speaking to Mr. Jenkins earlier about getting some extra money to spend on his habit, and now he is wondering of he's supposed to be helping with that. His father never asked him for anything, ignored him for most of his life especially when his mother died. He remembers his mother every day and misses her touch and the love that she would show him. A terrible cold took her life away just four years ago today and his life has never been the same.
He found himself getting hit almost every day, he would watch his father from a distance drink and smoke his life away. He would starve for days and have to sneak in the disposal boxes at night to find something salvageable to eat and at times he would turn out with nothing. He would pray to God every night for his older brother to show up again and take him away from this place like he had promised he would but that day never came yet. Throughout it all, Stefan somehow survived, but now he was starting to wonder if his time had come at the ripe age of ten.
He's never been to this side of town before, people staring and stumbling all over the streets. He spotted a few fist fights and was tempted to squeeze his father's hand for comfort but he didn't want to risk him taking his hand away. Stefan closed his eyes relying on his father for the first time in years to help him along the way. He couldn't take seeing this place anymore, especially at night where the monsters creep and all the strange noises decide to make a sound.
"I'm looking for Miss DePriest." He heard his father speak so he stopped moving his legs and decided to open his eyes.
They grew wide as he was faced with the biggest house that he has ever seen. It was white in color with gold lining and columns and a massive porch on the third level he could tell by the row of windows. All of this was guarded by a gate and that gate was guarded by a very large man.
"What's your business?" The very large man guarding the gate asked.
He watch his father whisper into his ear then tried not to be afraid as the man at the gate looked him straight in the eye. The man smiled then let them through and Stefan knew that whatever was about to happen couldn't possibly be good at all.
He should have known something bad was happening today because before they left, his father had him bathe and once he was cleaned dress in fresh clothes and get a hair cut. He fed him that afternoon too, but his young mind thought that this was all was his father's way of apologizing for how he has been acting in the last years. He even took him to his mother's grave to say goodbye and left flowers there. Stefan hoped that from now on all his days would be like this, but now he is starting to realize that his father didn't do all those things out of love after all.
They stepped into the mansion and his green eyes wandered left and right at all the pearl and marble that was inside. His eyes stopped as they landed on a beautiful woman dressed in gold who smiled at him as she made her way down the staircase. Her hair tied up high on her head, her skin pale, and her eyes looked kind but he couldn't be sure from this distance.
"And who might this handsome young man be?" She asked never taking her eyes off him.
"This is my boy, Stefan." His father introduced.
She smiled wider and kneeled in front of him. "How old are you, Stefan?"
He didn't answer.
"He's ten, the boy's ten." His father answered for him then squeezed his hand.
She looked him over then straightened her legs. "What is it that you want?"
His father cleared his throat. "Well I know how much you wanted a boy and couldn't get one, so I figured that we make a little trade."
"Trade?"
"My boy for some of your… possessions."
"You mean money?" Her eyebrow arched.
"However you will,"
She narrowed his eyes at him then down at Stefan. "And how much do you want?"
"I'm sure we can work out a deal."
Miss DePriest let out a breath then called a man over. "How about you two get a deal situated while I show Mr. Stefan here around."
She showed him to a room on the far end of the wall but before the man that she sent to work out a deal with his father made his way, Stefan saw her whisper something in his ear before letting him enter.
"Are you hungry?" She asked him once she was close enough.
All Stefan did was nod causing her to smile before taking his hand leading him in the opposite direction of his father. She told him to take whatever he wanted once they were in the kitchen and frowned seeing him stuff food in his mouth like he hasn't eaten for days. If it was anyone else she would have slapped the food out of their mouth for eating like a pig, but it was something about Stefan that she liked so she would give him a free pass. For now.
"So, Stefan, do you have a mother?"
He nodded his head.
"Do you know your mother or were you adopted?"
He nodded his head again.
"Yes you know your mother or—" she stopped when he nodded his head once more. She sighed. "You know, Stefan, if you want to stay here you are going to have to talk. That muteness of yours won't stay cute for so long."
He just stared at her swallowing the grapes in his mouth. She sighed then stood from her seat grabbing his hand leading him back to where they were a few minutes ago. As they were making their way up the stairs, the door that his father walked into opened catching his eye and he remained speechless seeing his father's lifeless body being dragged by the feet out of the room. He could have cried but he didn't.
He was led into a room and spotted yet another beautiful woman sitting on the windowsill staring out it. Her hair was long, her face white and youthful. Her body curled and covered in a gown with deep blue eyes as she looked over at him.
"Linda, this is Stefan. My son."
She lifted an eyebrow. "Son?"
"I need you to teach him how to behave and show him around the place in the morning. Now I need you to get him ready for bed, understand?"
"Yes, mother."
Stefan's hand dropped to his side once she let go and turned leaving the two alone. He felt like crawling into a ball noticing the way she was looking at him walking up to him slowly with a grin.
"You are very handsome, Stefan. I'm sure when you are older you will get all the girls." She bent her knees slightly meeting his eyes dead on. "Have you ever kissed a girl before, Stefan?"
He shook his head.
"A man?"
He shook his head again this time a little more enthusiastically causing her to smile even more. Linda leaned in slowly, softly shutting her eyes connecting their lips. His eyes remained opened meeting hers again as she pulled her head away.
"Yep. You will get all the girls, but I think I'll have you to myself." She smiled when he remained silent. "Don't worry. I won't bite you. Yet." She kissed him softly again before standing straight taking his hand leading him into the room across the hall.
10 Years Later
Stefan kissed along her neck then met their lips taking in all her oxygen. His hips moved forcefully into her as her legs were spread wide for him. He has been waiting for this moment since four years ago when he was sixteen and saw her naked body for the first time. He wanted her right there but she told him that he wasn't ready yet, that he had to wait. He tried to convince her that he was ready, but no matter how many times he kissed her or proved his strength by lifting sacks of hay, she never let him do more than touch.
It was strange, he was brought up to believe that she was his sister, but they both knew that was far from the truth. He remembers the day his father sold him and how that same night saw him dead being dragged like the animal he was along the floor. He has never had a sister and he is not going to pretend to have one either.
All of it was in secret and personally he liked it better that way. He had the freedom of welcoming other girls into his bed and tease Linda at the dinner table. He would run his hand up her thigh and run it across her stomach making her squirm. The servants would see it but never spoke a word to Miss DePriest who they knew would majorly disapprove every ounce of it.
Stefan felt like he was the older one of the two but he needed to act older than he was so he could have her. He knew that the other girls that he bedded simply wouldn't compare because he has wanted her for a long time. She got more beautiful every year, her smile brighter, her eyes glowed more. Her laugh was the most adorable thing that his ears have heard and he absolutely loved the way she would bring her hands around his neck whenever he would hold her after helping her down from her horse. He got to look into her eyes more deeply and feel her sweet breath against his face and sometimes he would get a kiss in if he moved fast enough. She was everything and more that he wanted.
"My sweet Linda."
"Stefan," she breathed.
He smiled. "I could never have the last word, can I?"
"Absolutely not."
He chuckled against her cheek moving faster into her. When it was over she pulled him down for kissing moving him to his back getting on his lap like she would the back of her horse.
"What do you think about eternity?" She reached behind her and started stroking his meat.
He groaned. "There is simply no such thing."
"What if I told you that there is."
"You'd be lying."
"What if," she told him moving her hand away so she could take all his glory inside her. Her eyes closed at the feel then rocked her hips slowly but forcefully. "I told you that we could live forever."
His hands moved to her hips, "If we could keep at this then sign me up."
She smiled then bit down on her lip and harder when he took her nipple into his mouth. She said his name through a moan.
Their heads snapped to the left as the door opened and both had worried looks on their faces when they spotted their mother.
"Rape! Help, he's raping me!"
Stefan looked at Linda confused, "What? No, mother, I—"
Before he could finish the men that he once considered as friends faded and turned into complete strangers looking for a kill. They stood at the door looking at the scene before walking inside. He started to panic.
"Linda, tell them!" He encouraged.
She got up from his lap stumbling towards her mother. "I'm so sorry, mother, but I was scared. He said he'll kill me if I didn't bed him, he swore it."
"She's lying, I would never—" his sentence was cut short as a forceful fist met the side of his face.
Another after another blow was delivered and soon he was dragged out of bed and down the hall. He tried to defend himself by telling the whole truth, but they wouldn't listen to any of it as they dragged him outside throwing him on his knees getting him ready to be decapitated.
"I swear to you, I'm innocent! You have to believe me!"
"That's what they all say. Now hold still."
"Please, you have to believe me." The machete was placed on his throat then pulled back. "No! No!"
Cumberland, Virginia - 1861
She could hear the dogs howling in the distance coming after her as she ran for her life. She told her mother that they shouldn't move here, begged her but she had heard of jobs here and Bonnie wondered what kind of job they'll have for Negroes like them. It wasn't a surprise when they had to cook and clean and do all the dirty work that the white man didn't want to do.
She hated how the people would look at her and her mother like scum but that's just the way that it was. She learned how to deal with it quickly following her mother's instruction to pay no mind and look at the ground but to not focus too much to lessen the risk of bumping into someone else.
Nights are what took the most time getting used to. It was freezing in their room but her mother would always remind her to be thankful that they have a room in the first place no matter how small or cold it was. Bonnie loved the fact that her mother was such a positive person because if she was stuck with someone like her father, her life would be been more hell than it is already.
She remembers their fights and arguments but she also remembers the good times. She knew that her parents loved each other but they were struggling and life got hard, too hard to be happy all the time and even pretend to be. They figured that life would be easier if they went their separate ways and meet up again in fourteen years in front of their old house so they could be a family again. Her father told them that he would be able to take more chances and risks with getting money knowing that he didn't have to drag them along with him. Bonnie was still uneasy about it all but she had no choice in the matter. She remembers saying her farewell to her father after the night that they had all spent together and that was the last she has seen him.
They have been good about saving money and making it, but Bonnie knew that they wouldn't make it back especially now since her mother was possibly dead right now or close to it.
The barking and yelling got closer and she knew that she needed to hide because if they didn't catch her, someone else would. Her legs were tired but she knew of the place she needed to go. It was a watering hole and she figured that if she hide herself inside it staying at the furthest end of it, she would go unseen.
For the first time in a while she thanked God for her black skin so she was more camouflaged within the night.
Tears ran down her eyes as she reached it without any complications and she swam as best she could into the water trying not to make so much noise.
"I think she went over here!"
Her heart stopped and bent her knees so everything was under the water but her face. She closed her eyes and prayed and prayed as hard as she could but figured that God was asleep when she felt herself being pulled up from the water and thrown onto the ground.
"Please, please," she begged to the man who threw the first punch at her mother.
He smiled down at her. "You know, we almost couldn't find you, ni... we looked and ran to find you and I'm not afraid to admit that I'm impressed. You got fight in you, I could tell from the first day I saw you." He started loosening his belt then got on his knees.
"Please don't."
He smiled. "I love it when they protest."
The tears started again and she tried to get up to fight her way free but he dragged his nails across her face forcing her back down again. She decided to focus on the stinging pain on her face rather than her rape.
Onto Mystic Falls, Virginia - 1873
Bonnie kept her face straight and her eyes down as she was being taken to her new owners. She was glad to get out of that hell hole because all she could think about was watching her mother being beaten to death before she told her to run. She hated that that was the last memory that she has of her mother but she tried not to focus on that right now.
Positives. Her mother would always tell her to focus on the positives. She just hoped that there would be positives in a town called Mystic Falls.